Chbistdph adqvff otebeleb-wajtke



C. A. GlEBELER-WANKE.

ARTIFICIAL LIMB.

APPLICATION man APR. 9, 191s,

ntented Oct. 21, 1912).

Adi'

A 22 @y Mm Anon/VEP CHRISTOPH ADOLF GIEBELER-WANKE, 0F NEW YORK, N'. Y.

ARTIFICIAL LIME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented Oct. 21, 1919.

`.Application led April 9, 1918. Serial N o. 227,549.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHRISTOPH ADOLE GIEBELER-WANKE, a citizen 'of Germany, and resident of the borough of Manhattan, in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful llmprovements in Artificial Limbs, of whlch the following is a specification.

'llhe present invention relates to improve- .ments in artificial limbs, and particularly an improved foot construction, an object of the invention being to provide a foot of this character which may be worn with comfort and ease, and having an action so closely assimilating the movements of the anatomic muscles of the human foot, as to effectually disguise the deformity of the wearer. A further object is to provide such a foot which will lend itself in a high degree to the many uses of the natural limb, its movements, its Hexibility and adjustments corresponding to the action of the 4foot and ankle in walking, running, kneeling, stooping and the like, thus replacing in a most eiicient manner the missing limb. Still further objects are to provide such a device which will be of proper weight, simple in construction, automatic in action, inexpensive to manufacture, and will not readily get out of order.

To these ends, 1 propose to provide in one embodiment of my invention, a collapsible instep, a hinged toe section, and instep and toe springs secured to and moving with relation to the hinge of the member. 1 also propose to provide an improved heel construction, permitting of the heel cstretching and cushioning in the manner of a natural foot.

With these and other objects in view, an embodiment of my invention is shown in the accompanyin drawings, 4and this embodiment will be hereinafter more fully described with reference thereto, and the invention will be finally pointed out in the claims.

1n the accompanying drawings,

Figure 4l is a vertical sectional view of the foot, the full lines showing the natural or normal position, while the dotted lines show three other positions;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on line 2--2 of Fig. 1, looking downward;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, looking down ward;

- by washers 23 and Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse sectional ,j

view of the toe member, line of Fig. 2; and

' Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse sectional view of the hinge of the toemember, and taken along the line 55 of Fig. 2.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several iigures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, the embodiment of my invention shown therein comprises three main portions, namely an arch member A, an ankle member B and a toe member C. These parts may be die-cast, stamped by hydraulic pressure, or otherwise shaped of aluminum, or other suitable metals, wood, leather, rubber or any other material suitable for the purpose.

rfhe arch member A is hollow and has an instep portion 46 which constitutes a partial instep, being curved or arched downward.

The arch member A is preferably formed in two sections, which both facilitates manufacture and assembling, the half sections 10 and ll being inner and outer sections corresponding substantially in shape to the arch of the human foot, the sections being connected by the overlapping recessed portions 12 and 13 secured by countersunk screws 14. rlhe member A. is open at its forward end as at 15 to form a pocket for the toe hinge, side portions 16 and 17 extending at each side of the opening,while the base of th said member projects be- .neath the opening as at 18. Bronze bearings 19 and 20 having square or non-circular openings 21 therein are provided in the portions 16 and 17, and a square shaft 22 is non-rotatably mounted in the said bearings and held against axial movement screws 24 engaging the ends of the said shaft.

The toe member C is formed in two su# parts 25 and 26, secured totaken along the perimposed gether by screws 27, the same being preferably molded to conform to the of the toes, and at the ends of the cylindrical portion 28 which is disposed in the openmg 15 there are provided cut outs 29 preferably dove-tailed` in which are non-rotatably secured bronze bearingsBO and 31 formed in halves, which rotatably embrace the round bearing portions 32 and 33 of the shaft 22 adjacent the squared ends engaged by the bearings 19 and 20. Anti-friction washers 34 and 35 are disposed between natural shape,

the member the ends of-the portion 28 and the projectlarch mem er, and is limited in its upward swinging movement by engagement wlth the abutment 36, this osition being that assumed when .knee ing. A pair of leaf springs 37 and 38 are coiled about and secured tothe square intermediate portion of the shaft 22, and bear down upon the bottom portion of the toe member, yieldingly holding the same inA its normal position.' The spring38 at the inner side is preferably of greater strength than the spring 37, as there is a gre ter force exerted upon the same during walking.

The ankle member B ma be likened in Shape to an over-gaiter. T e hollow body thereof has an upward extension B which forms a leg pocket for insertion of the stump of the leg. This 'angle member has at its lower end a downward forward instep extension 39 which constitutes a partial instep and forms with the partial' instep 46 of the arch member B the complete instep of this artificial foot. This ankle member B has at its lower rear end a rounded heel portion 40. This angle member is pivoted to -the :arch member near the bottom of the foot on a transverse shaft 43. The lower edge 41 of the ankle member is inclined upward from the pivot shaft to the heel and the lower edge 42 is inclined upward from said pivot to the instep portion. The shaft 43 is secured inbearings on the arch, member by screws 44 and 45, and washers 43a and 43b are disposed between the members A and Ball bearing antifriction means may, if desired, be placed on the member B and the shaft 43, as also such means may be provided between the shaft 22 and the toe member C.

The instep portion o r partial instep 46 of A extends partially over the instep portion or partial instep of the member B, being substantially concentric thereto and to the shaft 43, and these instep portions of these two members constitute a complete instep when the leg is in normal position and when the leg is bent forward the instep portion of B swings underneath theinstep portion of. A, constituting a collapsible instep which permits the leg to take a horizontal position as indicated in the right hand dotted lines of Fig. 1. The heel portion of the member B is spaced from the heel 47 of the member A as at 48 to permit of rearward movement of the ankle member, such'rearward movement being limited by the stop 49 secured to the inner surface 'of the member A. This position is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. The forward movement of the ankle member is limited by engagement with a pair of stops 50 and 51 provided upon the inner side and at the forward portion of the memf 69 constantly ber A. This position is also 'indicatedby with portions 56 and 57 inclined upwardly if i in opposite directions from the brace 52, and having openings 58 and 59 therein, in which are slidably disposed the upper ends of rods 6() and 61, the rod 60 being pivotally connected at 62 to the stop 49, while the rod 61 is provided at its lowerend with an eyelet 63, engaging a bushing 64 non-rotatably secured upon the shaft 22 between the springs 37 and 38, apair of set screws 65 and 66 being provided at each side of the eyelet to x the position of the bushing and to prevent movement of the rod longitudinally of the shaft. A slot 67 is provided in the upper portion 25 of the toe member to permitY of A i its movement about the rod 6 1.

Compensating expansion springs 68 and under tension are provided respectively on the shafts 60 and 61, and their combined effect yieldingly` maintains the ankle member in upright or normal position. y i

A slot 70 is provided in the instep portion of the member B above the rod 61' and spring 69, and in the extreme forward position of theankle member indicated in Fig.' 1 this slot embraces the said rod and spring. The lankle member is preferably formed in two parts, secured together at the overlapping and recessed portions 71 and 72 by. screws 73, the connection at the instep being at one side of the slot 70.

A cup-shaped portion 74 is provided in the upper portion of the member B to` exclude dust and foreign substances fromthe interior of the foot, and this may also form a support for the stump.

The ankle member is provided at each side with projecting portions 75 corresponding to the projecting ankle bones of the human foot, and to accommodate them when -the ankle member is rocked forwardly or rearwardly, the upper edge of the member A is recessed as at 76 and 77.

lThe action of the foot is entirely automatic, the same assuming a normal position as soon as the leg is straightened or the foot raised from the ground. Any jar caused by walking is entirely taken up by the compensating springs, whether the heel is first engaged as in ordinary walking, or the toe as in walking up stairs, or when running. A kneeling position may be assumed, or in fact any of the positions normally assumed by a natural foot. In a word, the foot according to my inventionaiords a natural cushion and joint movement, substanremera ber hingd to said arch member, an ankle y movement with Y toe attachment portion, a vtoe member member hinged to said arch member and adapted to have forward and rearward movement with respect thereto and provided with a forward extension constituting a partial instep adapted to slide underneath the partial instep of said arch member, and means adapted to yieldingly maintain said ankle member in normal or upright position with respect to said supporting arch member.

2. In an artificial foot, a supporting arch member having a partial inste a toe member hinged to said 4arch mem er, an ankle member hinged to -said arch member and adapted to have forward and rearward respect thereto and provided with a forward extension constituting a partial instep adapted to slide underneath the partial instep of said arch member, means adapted to limit the forward and rearward movement of said ankle member, and means adapted to yieldingly maintain said ankle member in normal or upright position withrespect to said supporting arch member. y

3. In an artificial foot, a supporting arch member comprisin an intermediate arch portion, a heel portion and a toe attachment portion, a transverse shaft disposed in said hingedly mounted thereon, an ankle member hingedly connected to said arch member near the bottom thereof, and have forward movement with` respect thereto, and yieldin said shaft and said ankle member ada ted to yieldingly maintain said ankle mem er in normal or upri ht position.

4. In an articial foot, a supporting arch member comprising an intermediate arch portion, a heel portion and a toe attachment toe attachment portion, a toe member hingedly mounted thereon, an ankle member hingedly connected to said arch member near the bottom thereof, and adapted to have means disposed between portion, a transverse shaft disposed in said forward and rearward movementwith re- 1 spect thereto, and ,yielding between said shaft and sald ankle member, and said heel and said arch member, and adapted to yieldingly maintain said ankle member in normal or upright position, and to form cushioning means against forward and rearward strains.

5. In an articial foot, a supporting Aarch member, comprising an lintermediate arch portion, a heel portion, and a toe attachment portion, a transverse shaft disposedin said toe attachment portion, a toe member hingedly mounted thereon, an ankle member hingedly connected to said arch member and 4adapted, to have forward and rearward movement with respect thereto, a guide rod pivotally connected to said shaft and having slidingl movement with respect to said ankle member, a guide rod pivo'tally connected to said heel and having sliding movement with respect to said ankle member, and compensatingspring means disposed on saidrods respectively between said shaft andsaid anf kle member, and said heel and said ankle member, adapted to yieldingly maintain said ankle member in normal or upright position, and to form a cushioning` means against forwardand rearward strains.

In testimony that I claim theforegoing as my invention, I have signed my name.

adapted to l CHRISTOPH GIEBELER-WANKE.

means disposed 

